Step 2: Step 2: Gather Supplies

7 pieces of craft poplar (these happened to fit quite nicely for the height of my drawer). You may need fewer pieces depending on your design. I recommend one top and one bottom piece and then as many dividers as you need for your items.

Optional: glue to strengthen your joints

The finish of your choice. I painted my insert white to match my cabinet, but you may choose to stain and 2seal.

Step 5: Step 5: Sand Those Jagged Edges

Step 6: Step 6: Set the Depth of Your Slots

We're going to cut slots in the wood to make this divider go together like a jigsaw puzzle.

First, mark out the depth of your cuts. I suggest going about 1/8" beyond the halfway point in the board so that the surfaces can lie flush. This exact measurement will depend on the curve of your table saw blade.

Measure out half of your board PLUS 1/8" and draw a straight line all the way across every horizontal board. Mark the larger side so you'll know where to put your slots.

Then, measure out half of your board MINUS 1/8" and draw a straight line across each vertical board. Mark the larger side so you'll know where to put your slots.

Step 7: Step 7: Mark Your Slot Positions

As you can see from the picture here, I didn't get the most exact length cuts on my vertical pieces. So what's a girl to do if she wants the slots to line up?

I stacked them all together with their edge on the table and made a line about 1" from each end. That way, the lines were in the same place and I could use them as guides for the slots in the next step.

Step 9: Step 9: Saw Your Slots

Use a table saw to saw all of your slots. I found that my .25" boards fit perfectly in a cut that was three notches wide.

Test your widths and depths by sawing a slot on one vertical board and one horizontal board and seeing how they fit together. Make any adjustments to the height and width of the slots before moving forward.

Comments

What would you recommend for making the slots if sans table saw like myself. I could maybe do it with the circular saw but I have doubts about the quality of this method, as well as maybe the safety if a clamp should slip or something. Basically I have a lot of hand tools but no real shop size tools.

If you use something thinner like balsa wood you could score it with a knife. As long as you're meticulous and careful slipping shouldn't be a problem. Accidents are caused from lack of concentration, carelessness, being too comfortable with a tool & just plain stupidity. Don't be intimidated and afraid to venture out and try new things. Power tools are for girls too! There are numerous videos on YouTube that show you how to use power tools.